The Wave of the Stars

Chapter One // The Inevitable

It was a grey day when the inevitable happened. 

The clouds rolled in over the sparkling waters, eclipsing the rays which poured over the depths, bringing the wavering winds of an ancient sea lord to wreak great tumultuous havoc upon the waves. Once washed in gold, the sandy shore darkened, mingling with the foam of the sea until it wasn't clear where one began and the other ended. This was, simultaneously, a dream as well as a nightmare for those who were out on the water. For simple beachgoers it was horrendous--the waves crashed higher and the tide grew longer, scaring the weak further and further up the slippery hill leading to safer pastures. For the daring surfers who had hardened themselves time and time again in far worse weather than this, the waves had reached that near perfect point that would make any wipeout dally the fragile space between admirable and precarious. The sky had given little warning to either group before the storm descended. 

But for one individual in particular who was just cresting the hill others were scrambling upon--in the opposite direction--this was the moment of a lifetime she'd most likely never see repeated. She had only just arrived at the sandy shore just as the clouds were blowing in and the waves were kicking their heels together. 

She had forgotten, or, rather, purposefully neglected, to pull her hair back and, now, the frizzed orange-red locks streamed behind her, glowing like fire in the growing darkness, and tried, without success, to pull her back up the hill with the retreating sunbathers. For without a sun there is no need to bathe, but in the darkness one can find stars--which was exactly what she intended to do.

The Wave of the Stars was her family's legacy generations back--generations before surfing was created. The last Wave had been discovered by her great grandfather and the search had been passed on to every descendant of his bloodline. So many had come so close, but none as close as he. Streaks of white light clashed in the distance and the first rumbling echo of thunder was heard over the neighing of the water. Yes, these were, without a doubt, the perfect conditions for The Wave--these conditions mirrored the ones on the fateful day her great grandfather had run out to the beach, heaved himself into the oncoming clash, and paddled out to meet foaming, roaring giants.

Without a single drop of should-be-apprehension flowing through her bloodstream, she ran into the fray, much the same as her ancestors, feet slapping shallow water that pulled her further into the ocean as she ran, then paddled towards the deep. 

A wave picked up, but she ducked under. They were always taller up close and personal, but for this purpose? Not tall enough. A high pitched yell slid atop the choppy waters--many of the surfers were evacuating the warzone--but she did not turn her head to their warnings, so intent was she on finding the perfect piece of water--a slight shimmer to it, a luminescence even. It needed to crest and sparkle like the...stars at the top, reaching up to the heavens for something greater and far grander than itself. 

There! A gargantuan wave, roaring with its ancient sea power, rose--her heart with it--she she readied herself. This was the one. It closely resembled what she was looking for--the list of qualifications she'd drilled into her mind since she could understand language. They would challenge each other. She paddled out in front of it, gripping the sides of her board, and stood up slowly, not minding the icy spray as it wrapped around her bare legs. The world diminished before her as the wave tubed over her and she crouched low and steady while ensconced within a living, moving, tunnel of water and water and more water. She focused on the end of the barrel, eyes straying to the walls of water, fire thrilling through her bones at the galaxies reflected in the deep blue. Yes! Yes! These were the moments she lived for. This was THE moment of her life!

And then the moment was stripped away.